Social media may trigger feelings of depression in young women and these celebs agree

By Noluthando Mdayi

08 January 2019

Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez. Credit: Getty Images

Excessive social media use can have a toll on your mental health, ask celebrities like Selena Gomez, who regularly take a much needed break from the net.

According to a recent UK study published in medical journal EClinicalMedicine, the use of social media is more likely to trigger depression among young women than in young men. The study highlights the accumulating evidence that young women tend to exhibit a range of mental health problems more than young men.

However, this study highlights that "underlying processes are not [yet] well understood."

Another study conducted in 2017 found that Instagram is the worst social media platform for mental health, as it was linked to anxiety and depression.

New research from the University of Surrey says Facebook is linked to perceptions of worsening physical health and women perceived more symptoms. In a nutshell, social media applications can have a negative impact on your mental health.

If you are an avid social media user, then you know how easily you can find yourself comparing your life to that of your online friends. The problem with this is that it can quickly lead to serious self-esteem issues.

"Social media plays a huge role in today’s world where we live our lives through other people’s posts and what they are sharing. Of course this is unrealistic as many people only post the good things happening in their lives and very rarely when they are going through a tough time. This leaves us feeling unhappy about our present achievements," - author and relationship expert Paula Quinsee.

Those in the limelight are no exception, which is why some of them will occasionally take social media breaks when it all becomes overwhelming.

This is what they have to say about going offline:

Hailey Baldwin

She has a successful modeling career and is married to her best friend Justin Bieber, and yet Hailey Baldwin says her life is not as polished as it looks.

"I have had more days than I can count where I've found myself scrolling through Instagram comparing myself, comparing my looks, feeling like I'm not good enough feeling like I lack so many things and really struggling to be confident in who I am because I constantly feel like I'm just not good enough," she said in a raw Instagram post.

Selena Gomez

“Update: taking a social media break. Again. As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given. Kindness and encouragement only for a bit! Just remember - negative comments can hurt anybody’s feelings,” she wrote.

Kylie Jenner

Kylie took a social media break when she was pregnant with her daughter Stormi. When she finally returned, she apologised to her followers for keeping them in the dark about her pregnancy and simply said she was avoiding stress.

Jessica Nkosi

Jessica Nkosi took a social media break before she announced her pregnancy to her followers last year.

Speaking to True Love, she said she did not want any drama. “There’s nothing scandalous about my pregnancy. Therefore, I don’t want any drama around it and I certainly don’t want anyone to have an opinion about it," she said.

Jhene Aiko

Jheno Aiko went quiet on Instagram when there were nasty rumours about boyfriend Big Sean cheating on her. The gossip began to get to her and she decided to lay off Instagram for a while. She returned last year in November and disabled comments from her posts.

"Hey group, so you may have noticed we haven’t updated the app in a couple weeks but not to worry we’ve called upon Kim’s closest friends, [family] and yours truly to save up some exclusives," she said on Kim's App.